Commercial aircraft, such as those that are routinely to be used on flights over four hours duration tend to provide passengers with entertainment systems delivering audio and video content. This is referred to as In Flight Entertainment (IFE); a typical system comprising an onboard host sub-system capable of delivering audio and visual content and seat-based display systems. These are typically connected together via hard wired connections or increasingly via wireless delivery.
The monitors tend to be intelligent devices in that they provide direct passenger interactivity via on-screen menus activated via a seat based passenger control unit (PCU) or directly into the screen via touch enabled membranes or similar screen based technology.
Increasingly, the seat-based monitors also act as a hub for other devices either connected within the seat environment i.e. headphone jacks, USB interfaces and power connectors. The latter two devices enable passengers to power their own ‘carry-on’ devices or communicate with the seat back monitor to interact their own devices with the seat based monitor.
The cost and weight associated to the seat-based monitors usually result in the devices being installed for a number of years unless they fail in-service. In addition, different classes of passenger groups such as economy, premium economy, business and first class tend to use different grades of device to match the seat class. These impose other issues in relation to maintenance and upgrades in that the service provider has to be equipped with sufficient resources to repair multiple and distinct models of equipment during maintenance/servicing.
This can result in a system that is cumbersome to maintain and expensive to update at the pace of consumer based technology.
We seek to provide an improved solution.